Medical council’s emergency suspension of GP branded ‘irrational’ by Court of Appeal
There was 'no material' to suggest Dr William Pridgeon had endangered anyone's safety, the judges said
The emergency suspension of a GP which has prevented him from practising for more than three years has been thrown out after the NSW Court of Appeal branded it “irrational”.
Dr William Russell Pridgeon was originally suspended in October 2018 after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested him for helping a mother hide her twin children from their father.
Accused of child stealing, at the time, he told police he was trying to protect them from sexual abuse.
But the Medical Council of NSW said his emergency suspension was justified because he posed “a risk to the health and safety of the public” (see box below for rationale).
